Just got myself an MJW Orion EL34 50w and last night was it's first outing. It was a gig of two halves.... The first set was awful, I had the amp running in full power mode with the gain and volume (Pre amp) at around 1:00 and the master at around 11:00. The amp was not loud enough, I was really struggling to get above the drums and my solo boosts were non existent. In the second set I decided to run the master at 1:00 and the preamp volume and gain at 11:00, totally different beast, easily loud enough. And, now my tubescreamer in the front and my linier volume boost in the loop worked great.
My question; is this normal?... I assumed with the amp cooking so high in the master section my boosts would be nullified? I'm used to playing amps like the EVH where you run the gain really high and the master ends up being as loud as the venue will allow, usually way below 12:00.
Any input greatly appreciated, thanks
Comments
I know what you mean, in that some amps get incredibly loud early on in the pots taper, but if anything it is preferable to have an amp where the range is a bit more gradual. That way you have better fine control over the volume.
I haven’t played one of those amps but the builder is a member here @martinw
If anyone has any questions relating to how to operate an MJW amp, they can always contact me through my website and I will be happy to advise! With respect, the 'issue' here is in how to set the amp up.
I'm not quite sure what the problem is here, apart from as @guitarfishbay says, your preconceptions from other amps. To answer your question then:
What, that the amp gets louder in a linear progressive way as you turn the master volume up? Well, it should be, but for various reasons, often not. Some manufacturers, as you state, make their amps get very loud very quickly and then the volume control has less effect over the rest of the range. You seem to be falling for the desired outcome, in thinking that the EVH will keep getting louder and louder and is therefore a louder amp than other 50W amps. It won't and it isn't. That's what they want you to think.
I make my volume controls linear and progressive. If you want it as loud as possible, keep turning the master up until it's loud enough.
No. You're not understanding how a volume control works. It is a restrictor device, it doesn't push the power amp. The more you open the control up, the more headroom you'll have to allow a boost in the loop to raise the volume.
Basically you didn't have the master set loud enough, as you found. As Simon says, the OD channel volume is there to enable you to balance clean/OD channel volumes, and is best set as high as possible.
From the Orion user notes:
Overdrive channel volume. This control is to balance the overdrive sounds against the clean channel. As such, it is best run as high as possible, so that the overdrive channel can drive the phase inverter in the manner of typical non-master volume amps. Start with the overdrive channel volume around 7 or 8.
The channel volume can only make the amp louder when it's not being restricted by the master volume. Even then, after a certain point, with a high preamp gain, it will overdrive the phase inverter past a certain point and add compression and drive without getting louder. If the TS is doing nothing, it's because you're not allowing it anywhere to go. Possibly you had too much preamp gain, but weren't able to discern that because of the power amp compression?
If you want a copy of the user notes I can email them to you, and don't hesitate to call if you want to chat about it and I can talk you through things in more detail. I'm always happy to support my amps when I can, beyond the first owner.
I hope you get used to the way the Orion works and enjoy using it. I would hope that once used to it, you find it a bit more rewarding that most mainstream amps.
Cheers!
And the other fact of life is what seems like a huge volume boost when you are setting your amp up for a venue will likely not be that much louder when you have the whole band joining in and a room full of people. If you really want a proper solo boost in volume you need to make it really really loud in comparison to your normal rhythm volume. After all you do have a volume knob.
Cool
You're welcome.
And yes, an LPB should be fine, used with care in the loop.